ALBANY (AP) - Hon. Jonathan Lippman, tapped last week by Gov. David Paterson to head New York's sprawling court system, says he favors allowing cameras in courtrooms and that the overall system needs ongoing reform to ensure that it's transparent and accessible to the public.

Lippman, the 63-year-old presiding justice of the midlevel appeals court in Manhattan, helped implement jury reform as the state's chief administrative judge, and promoted the establishment of special problem-solving courts to deal with domestic violence and drug cases.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, noting that he grew up with Lippman on Manhattan's lower East Side, says he is the best choice for the job. Lippman still faces Senate confirmation before taking a seat on the Court of Appeals, New York's top court.